Photographer Cecil Beaton once said, “Perhaps the world’s second-worst crime is boredom; the first is being a bore.”
No one is impervious to boredom’s dastardly deeds. Having too much time with too little to do can enable boredom. However, this fearsome opponent can be tackled with a little creative thinking. Here are six ideas on how to beat boredom:
- Make Something
There is absolutely no shortage of ideas about what to make; many projects do not even require a large amount of time. The only thing that matters when attempting to beat boredom is that you start by doing. This is probably goes without saying, but Pinterest is great place to look for ideas! The Arkansas Extension Circulars, recently digitized by the Libraries’ Digital Services Unit, can also provide you with how-to guides for everything from growing a tomato plant to sewing your own clothes.
- Learn Something
You are never too old to learn something new, especially if it is something outside of your career. The U of A provides free access to Lynda.com for all students. Lynda.com is an online education resource with thousands of video tutorials on nearly every subject from industry experts.
- Visit your Local Library [Shameless Plug]
Let’s not kid ourselves. If you’re reading this, that means you’ve reached the Libraries’ blog. The Libraries provide a great place not just for research and study, but to learn new things and explore an entire world of academia. Our computers are equipped with software the average scholar doesn’t want to pay for.
- Organize Your things
Mama used to say when there’s nothing to do: clean! Just kidding. Mama never said that. However, organizing your things, especially if you are as messy as me, it is not a bad way to pass the time, while being completely efficient.
- Watch Something
Netflix is usually my go-to when boredom strikes. I have rewatched The Office at least 5 times. However, there moments when I run out of stuff to watch on Netflix, and even Amazon Prime can be light on material. Recently, I discovered a movie streaming service available to students on campus called Kanopy. This film streaming service gives you access to thousands of movies including popular documentaries, and critically acclaimed tv series. The best part is it’s available for FREEEEEEEE, so you won’t have to mooch off your parents’ or friend’s account.
- Explore!
This one is kind obvious, especially when you live in the Ozarks. If you are new to the area, there are hundreds of places you can go. If you don’t know where to start, check out Fayetteville trail guides online, or visit the Libraries to check out your own copy to take with you on your trip. There are many places you can explore that are in walking distance from campus. All you have to do is go! (Diego go!)
This blog post was written by guest contributor Ariel Romero.